TVH signs Charter for Sustainable Enterprising

The founders of TVH have been socially concerned since the company began, 40 years ago, both in Belgium and worldwide.  Sustainable enterprising at TVH means not only to care about the present day, but also to care about the future generations.  This way, everybody living today, does not have to worry about the drying up of the sources in the future.

A number of themes are very important for TVH.  Every year, goals and campaigns are linked to these themes.  At the end of the year, these get evaluated and judged by independent experts.

West-Flemish Charter for Sustainable Enterprising

On 10 March 2009 TVH, amongst a number of other companies, signed the West-Flemish Charter for Sustainable Enterprising.  The Charter helps the companies to draw a structure to its sustainable enterprising campaigns and to continuously make better the environmental, social and economical efforts.

By signing the Charter, TVH acknowledges the policy and the themes of the Charter and engages to set up long-lasting campaigns within the daily company activities.

Sustainable mobility

A complete new mobility plan has been designed as a reply to the mobility scan that took place in 2007.  The mobility plan is a brochure that raises all the possible ways of travelling to TVH, by bike as well as via public transport or carpooling.  It also contains a lot of useful information and tips on alternative ways to come to work.
For the employees, travelling to work by train, TVH provide free bikes at the train station.  The bikes can be stored in a private bike shed with lockers at the company premises and the employees can take a shower if the want to.
In this new mobility plan, also a carpool declaration and regulation have been worked out and special carpool parking cards and parking places are reserved.
Through sustainable mobility, the employees as well as the employers, can save costs, the CO2-emission is reduced and there is less traffic.  On top of that, employees get an increased deduction on their taxes.

I Kyoto

The national campaign ‘I Kyoto’ that runs between 4 and 29 May 2009 is meant to convince the employers and employees to travel to work in an environmentally friendly way.  To actively participate in this campaign, all TVH-employees can register every kilometre that they have travelled in an alternative way.  A lot of prizes can be won with the collected kilometres, among which 15 Oxford bicycles trial season tickets for De Lijn (bus) or NMBS (train).

Ecodrive

The course ‘good driving’ promotes an environmentally friendly and more conscious way of driving. Tips, such as ‘don’t leave the airco on when it is not necessary’, ‘don’t use a luggage carrier when not needed’, and ‘keep the right pressure in your tyres’, encourage to drive more defensive and anticipating and consequently lead to decreased use of gasoline and less CO2-emission.
TVH offer this training to all their employees, to ensure that their thoughts also go to the environment in this way.

Waste management

When products such as batteries, tyres, oil and industrial packaging materials are produced, they also have to be disposed of at the end of their life cycle.  For this disposal, TVH pay a taking back contribution to Bebat and Recybat (batteries), Recytyre (tyres), Valorclub (oil) and Val-i-Pac (industrial packaging material). 
Most disposable packaging has been replaced by more sustainable packaging.  Only 3% of the packaging at TVH is not recyclable.

Next to the above products TVH have to dispose of at least 20 more different kinds of waste, amongst which product remainders, metal, wood, building rubbish, …  To fight against the environmental pollution, TVH engage to dispose of their waste in a sustainable way.  Last year, 3513 tons of the rubbish have been recycled, 837 tons were taken to a sorting installation for further sorting and 3 tons could be composted.  Dangerous materials have a specific allocation.  Last year, 132 tons of batteries, contaminated soil and acid, were first treated.  Only a very small part was burnt or disposed of (<0,01%).

Solar panels

By the summer time, a roof surface of 11 796 m² and for a capacity of 604 kWp, will be covered with solar panels.  Thanks to this investment, 13% of the yearly energy consumption, will be produced in a sustainable way as from then on.

The remaining 87% of the energy will be provided by the sustainable Alps Energy of Electrabel.  This energy is 100% certified energy of renewable sources.  This way, TVH can contribute to the decrease of the emission of greenhouse gasses.

Rainwater

In 2008 a small 10000m² of water was used. 3200m² was taken from the 7 rain wells of 20000 litres. The remaining 6800m² was mains supply. An additional 4 rain wells, will be put into use in 2009. This way we will be able to save on an additional 1500m² of tap water.